Compliance
by pokemon fan 98
Summary: "I trust Miss Simmons. She's ready to be moved up, I think." "And if it turns out she's not? If she can't be trusted?" A dreadful smile. "Then we make her comply, of course." Simmons had their trust, but how long could that last? Eventually they had to find out the truth. HYDRA always does. Takes place after Season 2, episode 3.
1. Compliance

Compliance

Summary: "I trust Miss Simmons. She's ready to be moved up, I think." "And if it turns out she's not? If she can't be trusted?" A dreadful smile. "Then we make her comply, of course." Simmons had their trust, but how long could that last? Eventually they had to find out the truth. HYDRA always does.

She reached her apartment and immediately locked the door behind her, leaning against it and closing her eyes. Being on that boat with Donny Gill had terrified her more than she would like to admit. But it had worked. Her supervisor trusted her now. At least it seemed that he did. She needed to tell Coulson the good news.

After a few minutes just relaxing her thoughts she pulled out the phone he had given her and hit speed dial one. He picked up on the third ring.

"Simmons?" His voice had an edge of worry to it, and she realized she'd probably made him think something was wrong. This wasn't a scheduled time to contact him, like they'd planned. "Is everything okay?"

"Sir, everything is fine. I just needed to tell you what happened."

He was quiet for a moment, seeing if she would continue. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Then he hung up.

She went into her bathroom to freshen up and ended up taking a quick shower, washing away her stress from the day. She came back into the living room in jeans and a cardigan a half an hour later, her hair up in a bun to dry. Coulson was waiting for her, looking through her fridge.

"I was here yesterday, and already you need my help with food." He muttered. He settled for a cold drink and sat down at her table. "What happened?" he asked.

She sat down next to him. "I tried to do what you asked and make friends, but straight away I was taken upstairs. They said they didn't know if they could trust me. Then I was told to approach Donny Gill. You remember him, don't you sir? He's the boy we tried to help when we visited the Academy."

"Yes, I remember him. We know his powers grew, and that he's dead. Skye took him down."

"Oh." She was quiet for a minute. "I was told to say something to Donny, something about compliance being rewarded. It seemed to calm him down, and then my boss spoke to him. He said I'd earned his trust."

Coulson studied her. "That's good, isn't it? You did exactly what you were supposed to."

"Then why do I feel so torn!?" Her emotions exploded in the question, and she lowered her tone before saying more. "Sir, I feel like it's only a matter of time before they question me again, and what if I can't make up a lie quickly enough?"

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Simmons, I wouldn't have asked you to do this if I didn't think you were ready. Like I said yesterday, don't think of it as lying. Just selective truth-telling."

She was still worried, but she felt much better. Coulson had that effect on people, making them relaxed and clear-headed when they most needed it. "Thank you Coulson." She said softly. "I really needed to hear that."

Coulson nodded and moved his hand off her shoulder. "Anytime you need to talk, just call." He smiled. "Just try to make sure it's not too frequent, or in public. Play it safe. I won't be able to come over for a few days after this, but you'll be able to reach me by cell phone if you really need to. And you can talk to May too."

They talked about plans for the next few days, and then Coulson left her apartment. It was a quick visit, but Simmons was glad he had made the trip. She had needed to see him.

She went to bed with a smile that night, confident in her assignment for the first time.

* * *

><p>The next week passed quickly. She did a lot of the same things she had been doing, including studying genetics and diagrams. But she had access to so much more than before. She even made a friend, a man named Howard, whom she worked beside in the lab of HYDRA. She was becoming accepted by all her associates, slowly gaining their trust. And with this trust came access to more sensitive information, which could greatly aid Coulson and his team. So that comfortable feeling she had stayed with her, and her wariness lessened. Her guard was still up, but she trusted the people she worked with about as much as they trusted her. She found that most of them were good people, just horribly turned around in what they thought was 'right'.<p>

She called Coulson at the scheduled times, three times a week; once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once at night, and never in the same pattern. But she broke a rule without realizing it. One day, about a month after the incident with Donny Gill, she was so busy she made the call on her walk to work. She realized her mistake as soon as Coulson answered the phone and didn't say his name, but knew the damage was done; she had called in public. Luckily he understood without her having to explain and hung up quickly. She had shoved her phone in her bag and searched the area for any signs of being watched, and walked the rest of the way to work with her head down. That mistake brought her nerves back. This assignment was not one to be careless with. A mistake could mean much worse than merely a failure.

Coulson visited about twice a week, for an hour at most each time. To others he might be a relative visiting the woman in the apartment, maybe an uncle or father. No one in her building asked, and she didn't explain.

As far as she could tell, everything was working out fine. She was being careful, just like Coulson told her to be.

* * *

><p>It wasn't careful enough. Jemma Simmons was a quick learner, a truly bright young woman. But she wasn't convincing enough for her boss. He moved her up in HYDRA because she proved herself worthy of his trust: worthy, but she hadn't completely earned it. He moved her up to study her behavior. He assigned people to watch her out of the lab, see who she met with and what she did.<p>

That was how he found out about Coulson. It was by luck, really. One of his spies had seen her make a phone call on her way to work one day. Nothing too strange about that, but immediately after making it she looked panicked, searching the street for anyone who might have been watching her. His spy was fast enough to not have been noticed, but he followed her home that night at a distance. That was how he'd seen the man fitting Coulson's description enter her apartment.

If the man hadn't seen her panic about calling someone, they may never have found out about her connection to Coulson. But they did. Her boss let it rest for a week before reluctantly calling her upstairs. He had wanted to trust Miss Simmons, he really had. Unfortunately, some people's loyalties were hard to earn. The scientist was a valuable asset, and he could see her advancing to a high rank in HYDRA with enough work. So he was going to help her along. Split loyalties made for a terrible focus. If she still hadn't given up on S.H.I.E.L.D., she would have to be made to.

"Miss Simmons, please come with me." He said.

She looked up from her work and blinked. "How can I help you, sir?"

"I need you to come with me."

Her eyebrows pushed together as she tried to guess what he wanted her to do. "Of course." She said as she stood.

He led her to the elevator. Once the doors closed she turned to him and asked, "Am I in some sort of trouble, sir?"

He looked at her and saw a trace of worry in her eyes. "We'll find out in a moment."

She wanted a more definite answer, but apparently saw that he was done talking. The rest of the ride passed in silence, and he led her to Whitehall's door.

"Come in."

He opened the door and stepped inside, Miss Simmons just behind him.

"Bakshi, thank you for bringing up Miss Simmons. You may leave."

He started to protest, but Whitehall gave him a look that told him arguing would only bring him trouble. So he ducked his head and backed towards the door. "Yes sir."

"I'll call you back when we're finished."

The door closed behind him.

* * *

><p>Simmons was terrified. The last time she'd talked with Mr. Whitehall he'd suspected she was a liar. He'd had a completely serious face. This time it was worse. He had a smile curling on the edge of his lips, an eager but somewhat regretful look in his eyes.<p>

She was almost positive her cover was blown, but she had to act normally. "Is anything the matter, sir?" she asked politely.

He pursed his lips. "Well, actually there is." He said. He started walking over to her, slowly. "You see, I need to know that I can trust my agents. And I don't think I can trust you. I know you were asked some time ago, but I'll ask you again. Is there anything you're hiding from us? Any people you might be seeing that you shouldn't?"

A wave of icy cold fear flooded through her, and she didn't have time to mask her face. Whitehall saw her reaction and cast her a cold smile. "I thought as much. We'll be spending some time together today, Miss Simmons. I know by the end you'll feel better about everything." He grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. "They always do."

She tried to pull free and he tightened his grip, forcefully pulling her forward. She punched out with her other hand but he blocked it and grabbed her fist, dragging her forward by both her arms. Her mind went on overdrive. How could she get out of this?

Before she could think of something he pushed her into a stand roughly and strapped one of her arms to it before she could recover, up next to her head. A minute later her other arm was fastened as well, and she was stuck. She tried to get out and grunted in pain as the bindings cut into her, falling back against the stand.

Whitehall tutted at her. "Now, now. That's not the kind of behavior I want to see. You definitely need to modify it."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

He smiled. "I'm going to make you comply."

A memory tugged at her, at the edge of her reach. Something that had happened a while ago… "Donny Gill." She said.

"Very good." Whitehall said. "Yes, you're definitely worth all the trouble. You'll do great things in HYDRA."

"I'll never serve you!" she spat. "HYDRA is corrupt. Eventually you _will _be taken down."

He pushed her forehead back against the stand and kept his hand there, glaring at her. "Be careful what you say, Miss Simmons. I might not be as gentle as I could be." He snarled. He strapped her head to the flat backboard and moved something out from behind the stand, something that glinted like metal. Again she tried to escape, but it was a hopeless effort. Even if she got out of this room, there was no way she could reach Coulson in time for him to save her.

Whitehall moved the metal legs to her face and pried her eyes open. They were like claws. She couldn't close her eyes. Then he swiveled the standing platform around so it was facing a screen and pressed a button on a remote. He latched the platform down so she couldn't move herself. "Let's get started, shall we?" The screen turned on, a shifting pattern of blue, and she saw the lights turn off.

Her eyes started to water, but she couldn't look away from the screen. It was so bright it was almost painful, but there was no way for her to look away. It was too difficult. Then he began to speak, in soft and soothing tones. "Take a deep breath. Calm your mind… compliance will be rewarded." Even after seeing how cruel he could be, the voice was lovely. How could that horrible man have such a persuasive voice?

This must be some form of neural reprogramming device, she thought. Repeated images and phrases have strange effects on the brain if the activity is done long enough.

She tried to think of something else, of S.H.I.E.L.D., her friends and family, work, anything to distract her from this. None of it seemed to work for long. Every time she found a way to let her thoughts drift to a controlled topic Whitehall drew her attention back to his voice and that fluid blue screen. It was mesmerizing in a way. His words timed perfectly with its fluctuation in pattern, and she listened to his repeated phrase a few times to definitively pinpoint the timing.

Too late she realized her mistake. She tried to reign in her thoughts again, but only half her mind was hers anymore. Whitehall's voice was the only thing she could hear, all that mattered at the moment. It and the blue screen were the only important things to her right then. What had she been trying to think of? She couldn't remember. She also didn't care. She felt relaxed. For a moment she found that odd, but then she was lost in that voice again.

"Calm your mind…" After some time Whitehall looked at her, stepping in front of her to inspect her face. "Compliance will be rewarded." He said sweetly. He had a smile on his face, a satisfied grin. "Excellent, Miss Simmons. Stage One is complete. Just a bit more, and then you'll be able to rest."

She didn't look at him, couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen. But she heard him, and he continued speaking.

"Who do you work for?" he asked softly.

"HYDRA." She answered confidently, as quietly as he had spoken.

"What do you think of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"It's a corporation run by cowards." She replied. "They fear what HYDRA can do, so they try to shut us down. They need to be stopped."

The blue light of the screen reflected in her eyes as he told her more in that soothing tone. They were dull, fixed on the screen but hardly seeing it anymore. She didn't remember where she was. What was happening? Her thoughts were slow. She listened to the voice for answers, not worried about anything. He was so nice to speak to her like that. Everything he said she believed wholeheartedly. Why wouldn't she? He was telling the truth.

He told her how S.H.I.E.L.D. had been planning on dumping her, and only HYDRA knew her real value. She remembered everything about her past, but now she understood how stupid she had been to keep trusting her old team. Coulson had asked her to go to HYDRA for him. Only after working there could she see how much better HYDRA was for her than S.H.I.E.L.D.

He left her where she was for some time, occasionally repeating that phrase. Finally he stepped in front of her again, the blue screen behind him. "Very good, Miss Simmons. Very good."

She felt herself smile at his compliment, and he turned off the blue screen. Then her eyes started to feel heavy. She felt exhausted. He took away whatever had been keeping her eyes open, and they closed immediately. "Rest now." He said. "You've earned it."

* * *

><p>Simmons woke up at her desk, slowly blinking and picking up her head. She must have fallen asleep while reading something, because she was surprised to find that she had been lying on one arm. Her computer told her that it was three o'clock. How had the day passed so quickly?<p>

She shook her head and went back to work. Hopefully no one had seen her fall asleep. What an impression that would make!

Just as she was preparing to leave for the day, at five-thirty, her friend Howard tapped her shoulder.

"Mr. Whitehall wants to see you before you go." He said.

Simmons smiled at him. "Thank you Howard." She hesitated for a moment. "Do you remember what we did this morning?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "I actually came in late today. Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all! I just had a temporary blank, that's all. See you tomorrow."

She walked out of there quickly and stepped into the elevator. Two minutes later she knocked on Mr. Whitehall's door and entered. He sat behind his desk, looking at a bunch of papers. He set them down once she came in and smiled at her. "Hello Miss Simmons. How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful, sir"

He studied her carefully, and she felt her cheeks grow red. Had she done something wrong? He saw her cheeks flush and lightened his gaze. "I only ask because I know you didn't feel completely well this morning."

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you for asking, sir, but I feel fine now."

"Good." He was quiet for a moment. "I need you to tell Agent Coulson something for me next time you talk to him."

He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to her. She read it and looked up. "This isn't true." There was no objection in her voice; she was just stating a fact.

"Do you have a problem with that?" He asked, his voice calm.

She smiled. "Not at all, sir. Happy to comply."

He seemed to brighten at that. "Perfect. You may leave now. See you in the morning, Miss Simmons."

"Good night, sir." She said before leaving.

* * *

><p>Whitehall leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He loved his job. This was better than he'd originally thought it would be. Miss Simmons would make a terrific agent. That much he had known. But he hadn't dreamed that he would have a spy so close to Coulson. He was well aware of the fact that she was a horrible liar. She wouldn't have to lie. Coulson knew she was moving up slowly through HYDRA's ranks. He had no reason to expect anything to have changed, so he wouldn't ask.<p>

The Faustus device was one of the best inventions he had ever encountered. It didn't change behavior at all, only changing allegiances. It was brilliant.

"Game on, Coulson." He said aloud. "It's your move."

**A/N: There you have it. After watching the third episode of the new season, I had to write this. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!**


	2. Aftermath

Chapter 2: Aftermath

Coulson's phone rang and the conversation paused. He ignored it and tried to speak, but Skye raised an eyebrow at him.

"Aren't you gonna answer that?" she asked.

He took it out and looked at the caller id. It was nameless, but he'd memorized the number some time ago. Damn. He did have to answer it. He looked at Skye and May and gave them an apologetic look. "We'll continue this later. I need to take this."

He flipped it open as he walked out the door. "Hello?" he said.

"Sir, I have information for you." Simmons said.

"Is everything alright? Were you compromised?" He spoke in a low tone until he reached his office, where he closed his door and moved to stand by his desk. Skye and May knew about Simmons being a double agent, but he still had to keep it as secret as possible.

"Everything is fine sir." She sounded calm enough, even a bit proud. "Better than fine. I have a weapon form for you to analyze, something they have me working on now."

He smiled. "That's great!" With the day he'd been having, this news perked him right up. "I'll stop by around seven to talk things over with you. I haven't been over in a couple days."

"Alright sir. I'll see you then."

"Oh, and Simmons?"

"Yes?"

He smirked even though he knew she couldn't see him. "Try to make sure you have something decent in your fridge. I don't have time to get groceries before I come over."

He heard her laugh. "Of course." Then she hung up.

* * *

><p>Simmons had a bounce in her step from all her energy as she walked home from work. Mr. Whitehall trusted her. She had officially been accepted into HYDRA, and now she could move forward, furthering her career with them. Her first task was giving the designs to Coulson.<p>

She really did like Agent Phil Coulson. He was a wonderful man who had always looked out for her. But he was on the wrong side. He had been taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D., and now he was stuck there. His ideas of right and wrong were formed in large part by that agency. Even she had only recently seen how wrong her former agency was, but at least she knew it. Coulson was hopelessly lost.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was the enemy to HYDRA. That meant whoever worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., they were now her enemy. That included her old teammates, although it was her mission to keep them from knowing that. She had started out as a double agent, and now she'd switched sides completely. That could be dangerous for someone who has difficulty lying.

Fortunately, she shouldn't have to lie. Everything she had told Coulson about the weapon plan was true. She had been asked to start looking into the designs that night, before showing them to Coulson.

So now she walked with a purpose towards her apartment. As much as she didn't want to hurt Coulson, there was no other way to make him understand how wrong he was about HYDRA. Mr. Whitehall had asked her to do this because he believed she could. There was no way she would prove him wrong. Besides, Coulson wouldn't be physically harmed because of her role tonight. This was a test of sorts. If Coulson found that the first design Simmons gave him was a dud or a trap, he would become suspicious of her. He needed some designs that worked first.

She reached her apartment and pulled the key out of her bag, unlocking the door and stepping inside. After flipping on the light switch she placed her bag on the kitchen table and pulled out the paper Whitehall had given her, with the name of the design on it: Drainpipe.

It wasn't much, but it could be seen as nifty. Fitz would definitely like to see the diagram.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Fitz. She hadn't thought about him in so long, had been so good about not thinking of him. She couldn't go there now. She pushed him to the back of her mind and started reviewing Drainpipe. She had a mission.

Drainpipe was a basic invention. It was an orb-shaped container that could draw the power from its surroundings. It absorbed electricity and things of that nature temporarily, at the control of the wielder. It was made for stealth, a blackout easy to make, and easy to carry. All it needed was a mechanical touch to finish it. At least, for Coulson.

This design had been made years ago by HYDRA. Prototypes had been made, but for some reason it was never used, placed in storage. It would be a perfect gift to Coulson, something to reassure him that he had done the right thing by making Simmons a double agent.

She took the pencil out from behind her ear and put it to her lips as she studied the paper she'd found in storage before leaving. She memorized the final design before erasing the engineering secret. She couldn't work on something that was complete, after all. She smiled and set the pencil down. This would work just fine. She was confident her old team could figure out the part she had erased.

Her clock read six-thirty, so she went to her living area and sat down with a book.

Before she knew it there was a knock at her door, and she carefully set her book aside. Coulson was waiting on the other side of the door. She took a deep breath to compose herself and opened it, and he stepped through.

He had a brown paper bag in his hands, and he looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes as he set it down. "I had a sneaking suspicion you'd forget about food again. Besides, I figured we deserved to celebrate a little."

"You're right sir. I did forget." She smiled and shook her head. "I was so excited about the plan that I practically raced home." Again she spoke the truth, so she had no difficulty saying it to Coulson.

He unpacked the bag and revealed two beers and a picnic set, with roasted chicken and vegetables already separated on two plates. Simmons retrieved two forks and two knives from a drawer, and they sat down to eat.

"I'm glad you called when you did." He said. "I was having a meeting with May and Skye, but your news really lightened my mood. It's been a challenging day."

That comment made her attention increase. "How so, sir?" she asked with polite curiosity.

He swallowed and took a sip of beer. "Nothing too different, but I found out that HYDRA has gotten to some of our agents. Only about half responded to the message I sent out, and the numbers aren't good. We need a lot more manpower before we can do anything too serious."

She managed to maintain her outward appearance, but his comment about losing agents made fear start building up inside her. He couldn't suspect her, could he? "I'm terribly sorry to hear that sir." She said, looking down for a moment. "Things are changing quite a lot, from what you're telling me."

"Unfortunately. But give me some good news. What's this weapon you found for me?"

She smiled, glad to change the topic. "It's not complete, but it should be able to help us in our missions once we figure it out. It's called Drainpipe." She showed him the diagram and told him the basic information.

He studied it quietly after she finished explaining. "This could help." He admitted. "It's not the weapon I was expecting, but maybe it's better that way. We can use it against HYDRA if we work quickly enough." He folded up the paper and placed it in his inner coat pocket. "I'll have everyone look at this first thing tomorrow."

He smiled, and Simmons felt happy too. She'd done it. Of course that was when he asked her the question.

"How were you able to take this without anyone seeing? I thought HYDRA had all their information stored digitally."

"Well I was asked to find a different device still in the planning phase, and I stumbled upon this one. I thought it was small enough that no one would notice if I made a copy of it, so I did. My boss saw it and was upset at first, but they trust me now. He said my curiosity was a good thing, and that I was free to experiment with it. He thinks I might be able to make it work properly." The idea came to her surprisingly quickly, and she spoke before she could overthink. It was the first time she had lied to Coulson. She waited for him to question her further, to know that she was lying.

But he just nodded. "I'm glad you're earning their trust. This is great work Simmons."

She smiled. He believed her. She had lied, and she'd actually been convincing. She felt a thrill run through her body. Maybe it wasn't that she was a horrible liar. Maybe she just hadn't believed in her cause enough before now.

Coulson stood after they finished eating and kissed her lightly on the head. "I'll contact you later this week. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, sir. I will." She said. Then he left, and she went over to her couch and collapsed onto it, grinning. Mr. Whitehall would be pleased.

* * *

><p>He was very pleased, actually. Simmons went up to tell him about her dinner with Coulson the next morning, and he looked happy to hear how it had gone. He raised an eyebrow when she told him how she'd successfully lied, but looked impressed.<p>

"Excellent work Miss Simmons." He said when she was done. "And he didn't think anything strange was going on?"

"No sir. He looked relieved."

Whitehall smiled. "Give him a few more projects to work on. Get a little bigger each time, with projects able to do more damage. Keep me informed, and we'll discuss this again soon."

She dipped her head and went back to her desk, working on her latest assignment.

* * *

><p>Simmons did exactly as Whitehall had said, giving Coulson new information after reasonable lengths of time. Each time she did so went as smoothly as the first, if not more. Coulson thought his spy was doing wonders, and Whitehall was happy to be a step ahead of him. And Simmons was content, honestly enjoying her work.<p>

Everything was going well, and before she knew it a month had passed. Whitehall called her up to his office one morning, and she entered with an eager expression, ready for her next task.

"Good morning sir." She said.

"Yes, it is." Whitehall replied. "I think we've given Coulson enough now. He knows that whatever you give him works, which is what we need him to think. Now we can set the trap."

Simmons smiled. "You mean we can finally act? We can make them understand HYDRA?" Her tone was hopeful.

"Yes." He was slow to answer, as if he had to speak carefully. "We'll take S.H.I.E.L.D. out at its core. We need Coulson and his team."

"Do you have a plan made?"

His eyes gleamed. "Of course, my dear. Why else would I have called you up here?"

**A/N: I was going to call it a day with Compliance being a one-shot, but decided to continue it. So there's chapter two! There will be one more chapter, I promise. If you have anything specific you want to happen, just tell me in a review or PM. Thanks for all your support, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews motivate me, so please leave some!**


	3. Resolution

Chapter 3: Resolution

**A/N: Here's the final chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, but I tried to make it longer to make up for the wait. Anyway, enjoy!**

"Sir, I just found something you need to know." Simmons said urgently. "You need to act quickly, or you'll miss your chance. They don't know I'm making this call, so I'll have to be brief."

"You've got my full attention, Simmons." He responded. "What did you find out?"

She smiled for a second. "They're sending a team out on some mission, trying to find a location for a temporary base. But sir, the important part is that once they leave headquarters, they'll be defenseless until they fully set up the base. They're leaving in a half an hour!"

"What do you want us to do?" he asked.

"Oh! Sorry sir! I forgot to mention, but I've learned the director will be going with this team. If he were captured, we could try to break apart HYDRA!"

She spoke in a hurried and excited whisper, and Coulson hesitated before answering, but only for a second.

"Are you sure you've got all the information?" he asked. "You think we can capture this team without too much difficulty?"

"I'm as sure as I can be sir. I know it's short notice, but this may be your only chance for some time!"

She heard Coulson breathe out slowly and pictured him standing in his office, thinking through all possibilities. Finally he answered. "Alright. Where should we wait for them?"

Simmons felt her lips tug up in a smile as she locked eyes with Whitehall. "I'll send you the coordinates now, sir. I know this is a great opportunity."

"I hope you're right, Simmons." Coulson said. "But I trust you. We'll see you soon."

He hung up, and Simmons texted him the coordinates. She looked at Whitehall as she closed her phone and raised an eyebrow. "He believed me, sir. He's preparing the team now."

Whitehall smiled coldly. "Perfect. I'll make sure we're ready to capture them."

Simmons felt her excitement increase. Their plan was going to work. Her old team, her old agency… everything would be right soon. HYDRA had shown her how wrong S.H.I.E.L.D. was about many things. Now it was time for her team to understand it.

* * *

><p>Coulson paced in his office after he hung up the phone. He knew he had to get going, but he was strangely reluctant to leave. He hated not having a full plan before going into action. Then again, there wasn't always time for a plan. Like now.<p>

He walked out and found most of his team gathered in the common area. May was standing by the wall, arms crossed as she watched the others interact with each other. Skye sat with crossed legs a bit away from her, typing away on her laptop. Hunter peered over her shoulder, bugging her as usual, and Coulson suppressed a smile. Fitz stood uncertainly in the doorway, which made Coulson's amusement fade immediately. Fitz hadn't bonded with the team yet, and since Simmons left he'd only been getting worse as far as Coulson could tell. Now he was an outsider in his own home.

But that had to be dealt with later. Right now they had a mission. "Alright guys. We need to get moving. May, get us to these coordinates." He handed her a paper with coordinates written on it. "I just got information that HYDRA will be vulnerable in about forty-five minutes. This is our chance to strike. Be ready for anything."

With that they set to work, and May motioned for Coulson to walk with her as she went to the cockpit. "Are you sure about this Phil?"

He half-smiled. "You can always tell when I'm not. But Simmons is right about this. It's a chance we probably won't get again, and some of HYRDA's top people will be there. If we can catch them by surprise…"

May nodded. "Fine. But you stay here while we go in."

"Not a chance."

He stared at her hard and their eyes locked for a moment. Then May seemed to realize that she couldn't win this fight, and they were pressed for time, so she relented. "Just be careful." She said.

Now he really smiled. "That's one thing I'm great at."

She smirked despite herself. "Go get ready. We'll be there in twenty."

* * *

><p>Simmons stayed in Whitehall's office for ten minutes after placing her call to Coulson, going through the plan once more with him. It should be simple enough. Coulson expected to get there first. He would find the area apparently empty and get out, and then HYDRA would strike. If something went wrong, she was the bargaining chip.<p>

Whitehall thought Coulson would do anything in his power to keep his team safe. As far as Coulson knew, Simmons was a loyal member of that team. So she would pretend to be captured, Coulson would lay down his weapons, and then they would be brought in as prisoners. From there she didn't know what would happen, but she trusted that Whitehall wouldn't harm them.

"Slight change of plan, Miss Simmons." Whitehall said, standing up from behind his desk. "I need you to be the bait from the beginning. Head down to the field now. You'll be informed exactly what you need to do once you get there."

Her mouth was open slightly as she heard this, and she closed it quickly, nodding. "Whatever you say sir." She walked over to the door and hovered there for a moment. "Sir, what do you intend to do once we capture Coulson and his team?"

"That's not your concern." He said sharply. But he continued, a bit softer. "I don't plan on hurting them, if that's what you're wondering. Not unless I have to."

She smiled, though he couldn't see her face. Her back was to him. "Thank you, sir." Then she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>The team was ready by the time May started the landing process. Fitz was staying in his bunk for obvious reasons, and Mack would be staying on the plane with him, ready for a quick takeoff if necessary. Hunter, Skye, Coulson and May would be going in for the capture.<p>

The area was not as large as Coulson had expected, and open enough to be concerning. He knew the plane was visible as they approached. He just had to hope Simmons' information was accurate, and they beat HYDRA here. If it was accurate, they had barely any time to set a trap. The moment the plane touched the ground Coulson ran out to survey the area, May on his heels. There were a few trees, but no real cover as far as he could see.

"Sir!"

Coulson's head whipped around as he heard the hissing whisper. May drew her gun quickly and pointed it in the direction the sound had come from. Simmons poked her head out from behind a tree. "Don't shoot!"

May lowered her weapon and Coulson relaxed – slightly. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"They sent me to scout ahead. They're coming now!" she seemed excited. That was a little weird. Usually Simmons was worried when they had missions like this. Maybe this has been good for her, he thought. This experience has helped her grow as an agent.

He saw May start walking the perimeter, no doubt searching for the best place to attack. He looked at Simmons again. "Why did they bring you along? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you, but I thought you were doing lab work?"

She smiled. "I am, sir. But they want me to collect samples to study." She looked behind her quickly, and he heard voices. "I have to go back. You don't have much time!" She gave him one last look before running back towards the voices.

Coulson set to work. There wasn't time to set up physical traps, but they could pretend to have more men waiting on the plane. They just needed a minute to stun the enemy agents. Fitz had made a Night-Night Bomb that was just as efficient as the gun, but spread over a wider area. Skye held it now, and she was standing just inside the door, waiting for his cue. Hunter was next to her. They were the backup team.

He saw a head appear over the small hill and pulled out his weapon. May did the same. Ten to twelve men walked towards them, Simmons in the back. He tried not to meet her eyes. Why did she have to be here? It only made things harder, because she couldn't lie. He had to get this over with quickly.

He searched for Whitehall and mentally cursed. "Glad you finally made it." He said to the men.

The one in the lead gave him a tight smile. "Of course, Agent Coulson. We wouldn't want to miss this."

Two of the men raced towards May. She jumped into action, literally jumping and quickly knocking them out.

This is too easy, he thought. Something's up. He looked back at Skye and nodded. But before she could move he heard gun fire and two bullets entered the plane. Skye fell. So did Hunter.

Coulson shot to attention, his aim steady on the lead man's head and his eyes burning. "What did you just do?" His tone was deadly even, angry but fighting not to show it.

"They're just taking a little nap." He said. "You will be too, soon. But first we have a little demonstration to make. Simmons."

She looked at him in surprise and stepped forward, not meeting Coulson's eyes. She's too obvious, he thought. He glanced at May and they had a silent understanding: he would keep them talking, and May would slowly retrieve the Night-Night Bomb.

"So you found someone who used to be on my team. So what?"

The man's eyes glittered. "Think of this as a test, Coulson. You're outnumbered. You've basically already been captured. But I like to play with my prey before the kill. Make them squirm." He grabbed Simmons by the arm and pulled her close, a small blade appearing in his other hand. His men all drew weapons and pointed them towards Coulson. "How much will you beg for the lives of your team before you give up and come with us willingly?"

Simmons met her captor's eyes. "What are you doing?" Her tone held fear, but her body language was all wrong. She wasn't as tense as she should be.

"We found out about your little spy here, Coulson. Now what are you going to do? I don't like playing a one-sided game."

Coulson looked at Simmons. She probably trusted that man, and now he was holding a knife on her. He couldn't let her get hurt. Reluctantly he started to set down his gun. Then he heard a voice he hadn't expected to.

"Let her go!"

Fitz. The scientist appeared only for a moment and threw the Night-Night Bomb in a clear arc. Even May was surprised. She hadn't gained much ground in the little time Coulson had kept the man talking. The bomb hit the ground and detonated, static sparking up and covering everything. The HYDRA men were too startled to recover and took it full on. They collapsed in an instant, including Simmons and the man who had been holding her captive. Luckily he had moved his arm before falling, so his knife didn't do any damage.

Coulson looked back to Fitz in astonishment, and then laughed out loud. "Glad to see you back on your feet, Fitz." Then he remembered Skye and Hunter and ran to check on them. May was already there, kneeling next to the two agents.

"They're fine, Coulson. Just unconscious."

He sighed in relief. The bastard hadn't been lying. He walked over to the fallen men and put Simmons's arm around his shoulders, supporting her back to the plane. He saw Fitz pulling Hunter farther back into the plane, and May carefully doing the same with Skye. He followed them into the common area and laid Simmons down on the floor. Things had changed since she left, and he didn't want to confuse her too much when she first woke up.

Once all their unconscious passengers were safely settled down, Coulson told May to take off. There was nothing left to do here. It had been a waste except for one thing: he had gotten Simmons back safely.

He'd lost his HYDRA spy, but a member of his team was safe. That made it worth it.

* * *

><p>Simmons woke up with a sigh and sat up, rubbing at her eyes. What had happened? She looked around and recognized her surroundings, and it came back to her. Fitz had thrown something that took out all the HYDRA agents at once. Their chance to capture Coulson hadn't worked at all.<p>

She felt frustration build up inside her. She had told Gabriel not to brag about the trap, to just capture the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and get back to headquarters. But he had to show off, had to torment Coulson as much as possible before he was taken in. And because of that, the team escaped, and now she was stuck on the plane with them.

She stood up and studied everything carefully. They were still flying, so she couldn't do anything yet. So she went to Coulson's office, to find out what was happening.

He smiled as soon as he saw her. "I'm so glad you're okay." He said. "If I'd known they blew your cover I would've pulled you out immediately."

"Sir, no one could have known how today would go. It's just good that you came when you did." She found it easier to lie when she wasn't specific on details. It was a skill like any other, and she felt like she was starting to get the hang of it.

"Of course." He said, nodding. Then he smiled at her again. "If anything good came from your undercover work besides information, it's that you seem more comfortable with field work. Am I right?"

She nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, sir. I believe it has. But what do we do now? Where are we going?"

"Back to where we came from; the Playground. We need to regroup before we reach any major decisions. We should be there soon."

"Perfect."

He looked confused at that. "Do you have something you need to do?"

She backpedaled as fast as she could. "Oh, sir, I just meant that it's perfect we'll be home soon. We're together again. A full team." She put emotion into her words, which wasn't hard. She did want them to be a team again. Just not under S.H.I.E.L.D.

Coulson seemed to buy it. He looked at her with genuine warmth in his eyes. "Don't worry Simmons. Everything is back to normal now."

* * *

><p>She tried to escape that night. She knew they would catch on to her eventually if she stayed, because everyone on the Bus knew her so well. So she wrote a note with the excuse that she needed to collect her data from her apartment before HYDRA cleaned it out and placed it in her room. She knew they would come after her, and she would make sure HYDRA didn't fail again.<p>

She walked quietly through the hallways of the Playground, a bag of supplies on her back. She knew how to navigate it from her time before starting to spy for Coulson. But she didn't remember the security measures by the main entrance. Before she could do anything more than yelp in surprise she was caught up in a net, the lights turning on around her and an alarm sounding.

How humiliating. Minutes later her whole team was gathered on the floor below her, staring at her in shock and lowering their weapons.

"A net?" she asked Coulson. "Was that really necessary?"

"Apparently it was." He said seriously. "What in the world are you doing?"

She tried to think of a lie. "I… needed some fresh air."

Skye raised an eyebrow. "And the truth is?"

She exhaled in a huff. She was too frazzled to lie well. So she decided to tell the truth. They are my team mates, she thought. I can make them understand without having to be captured, and then S.H.I.E.L.D. won't be a problem. "I'm going back to HYDRA. I don't want to be here."

Coulson didn't react besides a slight twitch of his eyebrows. "Why wouldn't you want to be here?"

"You don't get it. I'm loyal to HYDRA! Not S.H.I.E.L.D.!" the words just exploded from her, and even she was shocked. She made her voice even with difficulty. "I know you're the director now, but you don't understand how wrong S.H.I.E.L.D. is. I'll show you, and we can disband it easily. HYDRA would take you in with open arms."

She watched their expressions change: shock, outrage, disbelief, pain. Skye turned away from her and braced herself against a wall. Hunter glared at her, and Mack shook his head. Fitz stared at her plainly, as if she were a complete stranger.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Skye asked quietly. She turned to look Simmons in the eyes. "You know what I went through with… _him_."

Yes, she did. Ward.

Skye kept speaking. "How could you do this to us?" She sounded so hurt it made Simmons want to cry. She hated hurting people, especially her family. But they needed to understand.

"Skye, I -."

"Don't bother." Coulson said. He looked completely serious as he inspected Simmons. "What did they do to you, to make you think like this? I know they did something. The woman on my team could never betray us like that, especially not after all we've been through. So what did they do?"

His eyes bored into her and she felt like a worm on a hook, squirming uncomfortably. "Nothing. They showed me what I was blind to, that's all. They helped me."

Fitz stepped forward. "That's not true." He said. He didn't meet her eyes, but instead looked to Coulson. "I'll run some tests, see what's changed in her… um… time away." He spoke slowly, but he was so much better than when she had first left it made her smile.

Coulson nodded. "Mack, help him. Skye, go cool down. Hunter, help me move her."

"And where are we moving her?" he asked.

"For now? To a holding cell." He looked at Simmons. "It's nothing personal, and it's only temporary. We'll send Fitz in once he has a plan."

* * *

><p>Fitz came up with that plan quickly, with Mack's help. First they took a brain scan and compared it to a standard picture of the human brain. Mack studied it, a very confused look on his face. Fitz tried to explain the diagram to him. Simmons and he had studied diagrams like this thousands of times.<p>

He could see what was wrong. The part of the brain that controlled judgment and emotions, the prefrontal cortex; he knew what it looked like normally, and something about it had changed. It was more stimulated than it should be, as if something had been done to alter it… brainwashing.

"It makes sense." Mack said. "At least, what you're saying does. I'll leave the brain diagram to you."

Fitz almost chuckled, and would have if the situation wasn't so terrifying. How could he fix it?

The answer came from Mack. He had to think of the brain as a machine, not a part of a living being. If a car was not running properly or had some minor error, how was it fixed? It was washed thoroughly and carefully. He had to do the same to Simmons's brain. Which was why the situation was terrifying.

He needed a way to cleanse her brain of whatever had been done to brainwash her. Something small but effective. A shock.

He practically jumped out of his seat when he thought of it. "A shock." He said. "If we can restart her brain in a way, to um… inter… inter…"

"Interrupt the signal that's changing her behavior?" Mack guessed.

"Yes!" Fitz smiled. "Then her brain will act normally again. It just needs to be cleared."

"So how do we shock her without causing damage?"

They set to work. Fitz studied his work with extreme carefulness, scared to make a single mistake. He was going to try to send the shock by sound rather than touch. It took some extra calibrations, but it would be easier to deliver that way. Finally they had it.

"A neural reprogramming device." Mack said. "Made in just over an hour." He shook his head. "Man, what were you like before?"

Fitz laughed. "A smoother talker." Then he became serious again. "This isn't like other brainwashing devices, Mack. It restores what was changed."

"I know, Fitz. I know." He said comfortingly. "And don't worry. She's gonna be fine."

Fitz looked away, but smiled slightly. It was time to get back to normal.

* * *

><p>They used the device immediately, and Simmons slept for a few hours after its use. Fitz didn't blame her: if he'd had his brain scrambled, he'd want a few hours' sleep as well.<p>

Coulson was there when she woke up, and when she remembered what had happened she cried and apologized so much that Coulson had to hold her for a few minutes to reassure her that everything was fine. When she composed herself she didn't want to meet his eyes.

"I can't believe I thought I loved HYDRA." She said.

Coulson shook his head. "That wasn't you. You can't blame yourself for anything that happened. No one got hurt, and you're safe now. I won't send you undercover again." He sounded a bit angry, but at himself, not her.

"Sir, I'm so sorry. I don't even remember exactly what they did, just Whitehall's voice and… a blue screen."

He looked curious, but didn't press her, which she was grateful for.

"We actually came out ahead." He said. "You got information on HYDRA, and they got barely any about us."

Simmons smiled gratefully. "Thank you sir. For not giving up on me."

He looked at her with warmth. "I never will." He said. Then he got up to leave the room. "You can rest for a while. Then I suggest finding Fitz. You two have some catching up to do."

She smiled. "Of course sir." Fitz. Warmth spread through her at the thought of seeing him again, and Skye and May. "Now we're back to normal." She said. "I promise I'll fight to keep it that way."

* * *

><p>Whitehall yelled in outrage when Gabriel reported his failure to capture Coulson and his team. And when they found Miss Simmons gone? He threw a fit. He made sure Gabriel and his men were punished for their mistake, and then he paced his office, trying to work off his anger.<p>

How could the mission go so wrong? It was a trap, and they still lost.

Then, quite suddenly, he smiled. He'd received valuable information from this event, even if it wasn't what he'd originally wanted. Gabriel had said Coulson was lowering his weapon before that bomb knocked him out.

So Miss Simmons wasn't a secret weapon anymore. That was a setback, but only a minor one: he could make do without her, though it was a waste of talent that she worked for S.H.I.E.L.D.. And he knew she worked for them now. Coulson would find a way to reverse the brainwashing process, he was sure of it.

But now he knew how to work Coulson. The man's team was his greatest weakness. He would do anything in his power to protect them. This event was proof. And that would be his downfall.

He laughed. "Oh, this is better than I imagined." He said aloud. Coulson needed to be destroyed. That much was clear. Only that could destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. completely. But first he would suffer.

"Enjoy your little family while you can, Coulson." He said as he sat back down at his desk. "It won't be whole for long."

**A/N: That's it! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you all for all your reviews, follows, and favorites. They motivated me so much! I plan on writing a series of drabbles for FitzSimmons next. It will be posted as one story, but you can submit ideas for it and I'll write them. I don't know how many yet, but I'll write the pieces you guys ask for. So look into that if you're interested. Thanks for everything.**


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